Person
John Woo
Directing · Born 1946-09-22 · Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
Biography
John Woo Yu-Sen SBS (born September 22, 1946) is a Hong Kong film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard Boiled and Red Cliff. His Hollywood films include Hard Target, Broken Arrow, Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2. He also created the comic series Seven Brothers, published by Virgin Comics. Woo was described by Dave Kehr in The Observer in 2002 as "arguably the most influential director making movies today". Woo cites his three favorite films as David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia, Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, and Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samouraï.
Known for
Golden Horse Awards
Self
Voice
2012
Face/Off
Director
Celebrity Talk Show
吴宇森
Mission: Impossible II
Director
Be My Guest
2006
Windtalkers
Producer
Hard Boiled
Mr. Woo
Hard Target
Director
Once a Thief
Creator
Filmography
- 2024The KillerDirector
- 2023Silent NightProducer
- 2022The King of Wuxia Part 2Self
- 2022The King of Wuxia Part 1Self
- 2022大侠胡金铨self
- 2021Life in 24 Frames a SecondSelf
- 2018A Better TomorrowOriginal Story
- 2017ManhuntDirector
- 2017John Travolta, le miraculé d'HollywoodSelf - Filmmaker (archive footage)
- 2016Ken SanSelf
- 2015The Crossing IIDirector
- 2014The Crossing IDirector
- 2014Breaking the WavesExecutive Producer
- 2012Voice
- 2012Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq BaleProducer
- 2011Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 2: The Rainbow BridgeProducer
- 2011Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 1: The Sun FlagProducer
- 2011Beginning of the Great RevivalLin Sen
- 2011Kurosawa's WaySelf
- 2010Color Me LoveProducer
- 2010A Better TomorrowExecutive Producer
- 2010Reign of AssassinsProducer
- 2009My Fair GentlemanProducer
- 2009The Founding of a RepublicLiu Wenhui
- 2009How Bruce Lee Changed the WorldSelf
- 2009Red Cliff IIScreenplay
- 2008Red CliffDirector
- 2008Team-Up: John Woo and Shinji Aramaki
- 2007Appleseed: Ex MachinaProducer
- 2007Blood BrothersProducer
- 2007The Making of Hard Boiled
- 2007The Making of Stranglehold
- 2007Bokura no Jidai
- 2006Be My Guest
- 2006All the Invisible ChildrenDirector
- 2005A Century of Light and ShadowSelf
- 2004Crossings: John WooSelf
- 2004The Robinsons: Lost in SpaceDirector
- 2003PaycheckDirector
- 2003Chop Socky: Cinema Hong KongSelf
- 2003The Master: Chang Cheh Documentary
- 2003The Life and Times of Wu Zhong XianAs himself
- 2003Bulletproof MonkProducer
- 2003Cinema Hong Kong: Wu XiaSelf
- 2003Cinema Hong Kong: Kung FuSelf
- 2002HostageDirector
- 2002Red SkiesExecutive Producer
- 2002WindtalkersProducer
- 2002The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the MoviesSelf - Interviewee
- 2001Mission: ImprobableJohn Woo
- 2001The HireDirector
- 2000Mission: Impossible IIDirector
- 1999Kurosawa: The Last EmperorSelf
- 1998BlackjackDirector
- 1998Yang ± Yin: Gender in Chinese CinemaSelf
- 1998The Big HitExecutive Producer
- 1998The Replacement KillersChoreographer
- 1997Task ForcePolice Chief
- 1997Face/OffDirector
- 1996Once a ThiefDirector
- 1996Once a ThiefCreator
- 1996Somebody Up There Likes MeProducer
- 1996Broken ArrowDirector
- 1995Don't Cry, NankingProducer
- 1995Peace HotelExecutive Producer
- 1994Cinema of VengeanceSelf (uncredited)
- 1993Hard TargetDirector
- 1993Film ohne Fesseln - Das neue Hongkong KinoSelf
- 1992Hard BoiledMr. Woo
- 1992Twin DragonsPriest
- 1991The BanquetMan on Stairs
- 1991Once a ThiefStanley Wu
- 1990Rebel from ChinaKwong
- 1990Bullet in the HeadPoliceman
- 1989A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in SaigonProducer
- 1989Just HeroesDirector
- 1989Sunset in ParisMaggie's uncle
- 1989The KillerDirector
- 1989Celebrity Talk Show吴宇森
- 1988Starry Is the NightFather Fan
- 1988I Love Maria
- 1987A Better Tomorrow IIDirector
- 1987The Thirty Million Dollar RushLing's Husband
- 1986A Better TomorrowInspector Wu
- 1985Ghost BustinProducer
- 1985Love, Lone Flower
- 1985Super CitizenProducer
- 1985Run Tiger RunDirector
- 1985Happy Union 2
- 1984Heroes Shed No TearsProducer
- 1984The Time You Need a FriendDirector
- 1984Happy UnionProducer
- 1982Plain Jane to the RescueSelf
- 1982To Hell with the DevilDirector
- 1981The Idiot AssassinProducer
- 1980Laughing TimesScreenplay
- 1980From Riches to Rags[cameo]
- 1979Last Hurrah for ChivalryDirector
- 1979Itchy FingersTriad Boss on Lorry
- 1978Hello, Late HomecomersDirector
- 1978Follow the StarMiss Chen's Father
- 1977Money CrazyDirector
- 1976The Private EyesProducer
- 1976Hand of DeathZhang Yi
- 1976Princess Chang-PingDirector
- 1975The Dragon TamersDirector
- 1974Young Lovers on Flying WheelsMan at Bike Reclaim Centre
- 1974The Young DragonsMessage Deliverer
- 1973The DevilsAssistant Director
- 1973Fist to FistAssistant Director
- 1973The Mandarin
- 1973Blood BrothersAssistant Director
- 1972Four RidersAssistant Director
- 1972Young PeopleAssistant Director
- 1972The Water MarginAssistant Director
- 1972The Boxer from ShantungAssistant Director
- 1970BeggingThanks
- 1970The Ruthless HeartStory
- 1969Dead KnotBoy
- 1968AccidentallyYoung Man
- 1962Golden Horse AwardsSelf
- —Twist & Shoot: Mister SuzukiSelf
- —X-CruciorDirector
- —Better TomorrowOriginal Film Writer
- —GambinoDirector
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